to object to people going on to private farming land whenever they feel like it?

[whatcheekyfuckery]

There's a field behind our house, owned and farmed by a local farmer who I know slightly. Because of our location, we can't help seeing what's going on in this field. We also appreciate the privacy it generally gives us, as our garden looks out onto this field. Equally, anyone who's in it can clearly look into our private garden. I contacted the farmer a couple of years ago to let him know that some people had started increasingly coming to stroll in it, let their dogs run free on it etc and that I often saw his growing crops being trampled on, etc. (There's no public right of way on this land and we live in a village that is very well supplied with plenty of alternative areas eg. a huge recreation ground, many country lanes and a lovely community meadow where most people take their dogs).

Farmer was grateful to me and confirmed to me, then, that indeed he didn't want members of the public on his land, and said he'd be glad if I'd politely mention this to anyone I saw on it if they came near our property. (AFAIK he hasn't yet put up 'No Trespassing' signs though). Today there was a whole family, kids and several adults, playing on this field, right near our fence and able to look straight into our garden. They probably weren't doing any 'damage' (field has just been harvested) but it concerned me that, if not challenged, they'll go on doing this, assuming this field is free for them to access, also thereby advertising it as a supposedly accessible area for anyone else who fancies going on to it. As I see it, over time this could become a real nuisance for the farmer as well as for us, and things would have to get a lot worse, both for him and for us, before he'd be forced to put up 'no trespassing' or 'Private' signs.

WWYD? I don't want to be an interfering busybody, but equally, shouldn't most people realise that farmland is private land and not just another space they can go all over whenever they feel like it? It's the brazen entitledness of it that especially irks me. I'd be grateful to know what others think. Should I just let this happen or should I be bold enough to challenge these people, even though it's not actually my own land? Farmers, I'd be particularly interested in your take on this.

AIBU to politely challenge them about the fact that they are on private land?

Of course they shouldn't be there and the farmer is probably happy for you to try and get rid of them as he's too busy.

But you're coming across badly because you seem to be much more motivated by people being able to see into your garden, which is just precious.

YANBU. Its crazy how many people think the countryside is their personal playground. My parent have come home to people having a picnic in their garden - apparently said people came through the gate and thought it was just a field!! Not to mention the number of people who walk straight through the middle of fields with crops just because its a public right of way - what happened to walking the hedge line?? There is a rise in the entitled mindset of people. If you see anyone tell them its private property. Why should the farmer have to put signs up?

Its crazy how many people think the countryside is their personal playground.

Yes, people enjoy the countryside, mainly the people who live there most of the time. People who go walking, cycling, horse riding. That is at least in part what it is for including in terms of the economy. It is also for farming so it is important to not damage anything and treat the area with respect but the people who live there's 'privacy' doesn't usurp anything else.

And clearly having a picnic in someone's garden is ridiculous and the crop trampling we have already tackled.

For me the worst behaviour is people not controlling their dogs where there are animals. That is what gives me the rage personally. Quite recently I saw a family with their darling pooch that they allowed to bark constantly at heifers in a field as they walked through (who were understandably behaving quite aggressively). They were completely oblivious and on a public footpath if that is relevant. They were lucky not to get trampled to death

People are astonishing where farmland is concerned. I used to live with my grandfather and we had about 5 acres of securely fenced land attached to the house, no right of way. We kept horses on it.

The amount of times I'd be in the garden and see people climbing over the gate to get into the field was unbelievable. Generally because they wanted to pet the horses. One family with two young daughters got really twatty with me when I went into the field to herd them off our property - I was selfish and unkind and denying the poor children their right to interact with animals, they just wanted to feed the horses, they weren't doing any harm, not everyone was as lucky as me to have land and horses, why did I have to be such a bitch, etc. The fact was that the horses in question st that time were a very grouchy and skittish Arab mate and her foal, who didn't like strange children dancing around her, and that any 'interaction' was likely to be her kicking them over when they tried to go near her baby. People are so stupid.

So t even get me started on the ones who would tip grass clippings over my gate "to feed the horses", or the postman I caught trying to feed one of the mares a ham sandwich....

The clue here is that it is private land, as in not your land, private to the farmer. You say you don't want to be a busy body but I think you are being. It is none of your business. But of course people shouldn't be on private land.

One person's busybody is another person's helpful neighbour.

I'd be delighted if my neighbours told off anyone going onto my field, if I wasn't there. It's a neighbourly thing to do IMO.

But OP you are missing a trick here! You have the perfect opportunity to pretend to be the farmer, and tell them to 'Get orf moi laaand'.

YANBU. seriously, do people just think they have the god given right to roam where ever they want!?! Even if the field has just been harvested and looks like they are not damaging crops there is a chance it could have been drilled with next years crops and they are trampling all over it. It is private land.

oh yes welsh I'm having the same problem! My horses are next to a quiet country lane. People are hopping the gate to actually go into the field and feed them!! The pony is laminitic and my big ISH bites if fed treats plus is a very excitable and fit competition horse. If they were injured they would be the first ones complaining about the dangerous horses.

We have the same problem, and would love any of our neighbours to help if they see people in the fields where they are not supposed to be. I really don't understand why people think we should have to put up signs; do you really want the countryside to be littered with signage saying private land? The opposite mindset is the correct one. In England, land is generally private unless a public right of way is marked. Why don't people understand this?

Only last week I watched a cheeky fucker exercising his dog in one of our fields and picking our blackberries. There isn't a path in that field at all. Unfortunately he was three fields away from me (I was looking downhill) and by the time I had walked the half mile to the field he was in, he'd disappeared. Multiply that by a few times a week and you've wasted an awful lot of time chasing people that have no right to be there in the first place and in most cases damn well know it (else they wouldn't disappear when they saw you coming, would they?).

FWIW, we drilled wheat yesterday and this morning, so crops are already in the ground.

If it helps OP, my tried and tested, this won't offend you or contain swear words but will get the message across to trespassers phrase is "hello, you appear to be lost. Can I show you to the footpath?" People usually get very flustered at that point and start making excuses whilst I politely show them where to go.

For those who think we are over entitled bastards because we own land and they "just want somewhere to exercise their dogs"; go to an auction where they are selling some fields. Keep putting your hand up until the man with the gavel says "sold to you". Then you pay for it, keep it maintained, keep the boundaries safe, put up lots of signs saying private and see how you feel when somebody starts using it without your permission.

I can empathise with this.
We bought our current home about a year ago: we also own land around the house on which there is a public footpath. The land is next to a river, and we own the fishing rights too.
Up until now, there have been only two small signs saying 'private'. However; it's become increasingly clear to us that people haven't seen them, or assume that it refers to the house and walled off garden.
What this means in practice is that people using the public footpath take it very much for granted, and abuse it to some degree because they wrongly assume it is owned by the council/countryside agency/whatever - there is litter discarded on the ground (that I pick up), or worse, in the river (that I pick out), and they ride bicycles along the public footpath (churns up the mud and makes it impassable for walkers).
The irony is that people expect to have this lovely countryside as their right - but they don't treat it respectfully! It really makes me angry.

We have decided to take proactive action and create a number of small signs that we intend to post along the public footpath, each bearing the legend: 'this is a public footpath across private land. No bicycles'.

Aim is to make people aware that it is not a free for all without consequence.
We aren't averse to people using the footpath - we knew it was there when we bought the house - but there has to be a two/way respect.
We put the effort in to make sure the land and river are well kept, and it's deeply frustrating when people treat it badly, but at the same time assume it is entirely their right to use and abuse.

Well if the farmer is anything like the rest of us farmers he's forgotten about it because he has ten million other things on his mind.

He will probably only be reminded of it when he discovers his crops have been trampled/set fire to by people taking it one step further and camping out there so yes I think it's nice and neighbourly of you to tell them its private property

Personally I would ring him back and say look I don't want to appear as if I'm being a busy body but how about I just print out a sign and laminate it and tie it to the gate - won't cost a lot, you've informed him and he will be grateful.

If he says no then fair enough I wouldn't bother telling the randomers on his land that its private property.

My family are from a farming background. They hated people destroying crops, dogs off the lead around livestock, and their biggest bug bear - people parking in front of field gates blocking access for the tractor, etc. They didn't care less about people walking over stubble fields or fields of livestock that were not rights of way.

I probably wouldn't say anything as i'm not good with things like that, plus it's not your land their on so should't really be down to you to speak out.
I would put a sign up myself if he hasn't got round to it, it's busy season for them so it may have slipped his mind.

Thanks very much to everyone who has posted their views in response to my question. All helpful, and the whole range of opinions duly taken on board.

Interesting to note that most comments here actually seem to be on the side of the farmer/landowner. I find this reassuring. I'm a rather retiring person who avoids confrontation whenever possible, so it does take quite a lot to make me approach a trespasser who's right up against my back fence, with all the associated risks of negative comeback. ... Particular thanks ladyflip for your very useful tip as to how (inoffensively) to phrase my sentence - masterly! ... (now almost looking forward to the next occasion to guide all these poor 'lost' souls onto the correct path...)

I noticed btw that yesterday 'our' farmer's tractor was working in the field again, probably sowing seeds which take a while to germinate/become visible, so more chance of these being trampled in the early stages by random recreation seekers and their dogs.

I agree that private land should be enforced and enforceable.

Some publicity on neosporosis and its effect on cattle and loss to the farmers would really help, it's not widely known about and I'm sure a lot of people would be horrified at causing potential problems and exercise their dogs elsewhere if they knew.

If it was my field, I would put a Private Property No Entry sign on it and have a couple of laminated sheets with details of neosporosis and its effect on livestock, I'm sure that would stop at least some trespassers.